


Sea of Suits

by thebluesthour



Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [16]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, Choi Soobin-Centric, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Fluff, Harassment, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurity, Kissing, M/M, Nervousness, Protectiveness, Shy Choi Soobin, Social Anxiety, Verbal Abuse, Whipped Choi Yeonjun, kind of, pre-debut txt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:35:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26187289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour
Summary: The members all attend an idol mixer, and Soobin meets someone who says some not-so-nice things about him.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870156
Comments: 6
Kudos: 211





	Sea of Suits

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't a companion to the previous fic, but it could be! Also, I literally know nothing about Choi San, but I'm sure he's lovely in real life! I just needed an antagonist lol. 
> 
> As well, I know Soobin would most likely NOT react in such a way in real life, this is purely dramatised fiction! I hope you enjoy, I didn't realise I had written 4500 words until it was finished, oops! I really love pre-debut tropes, so expect more of these! 
> 
> Not edited.

Soobin stood off to the side of the large ballroom, he was at an idol mixer, something not required but so highly recommended he knew he couldn’t not show up. The rest of his group had eagerly accepted the invitation, and were even excited to attend. Soobin put on a smile and a brave face, and shook off their looks of concern. Yeonjun probably told him a dozen times that he didn’t have to go if it was going to make him uncomfortable, but Soobin insisted that he would be just fine.

He needed to learn to be comfortable in public settings anyway, with his new career and his role as leader of the group. Networking was vital in the industry, as was socialising and being likable. An idol who alienated themselves never made it far, and Soobin knew he needed to work on his people skills. He actually rather enjoyed talking to people, but he preferred it to be in a more controlled environment, rather than sporadically and unannounced. It tended to trigger Soobin’s anxiety, and he always got flustered when he had to think of conversation starters off the top of his head.

He was grateful that the stylist noonas dressed him though, otherwise he would feel even less confident. They knew what looked best on him better than he did, so maybe if he looked like a million bucks he’d feel like a million bucks too. It was a weak hypothesis, but he was willing to test it. The other members looked absolutely stunning, as they always did, and Soobin once again had to tear his eyes away from Yeonjun, but not before the older caught him staring and sent him a wink. Soobin promptly blushed and turned away, accidentally bumping into poor Taehyun, who nearly fell over. He heard Yeonjun chuckle softly, and his ears burned as he carefully righted his dongsaeng and stared a hole into the wall.

He knew it was stupid to still get so embarrassed around Yeonjun, especially because he had survived the harrowing “feelings” conversation last month where his nerves were so bad Yeonjun quite literally had to talk him through an anxiety attack. It was worth it though, because Soobin got a boyfriend out of it, and even though they had to keep it a secret from the public, Soobin was never happier than he was when he was around Yeonjun. But he knew he wouldn’t be able to hang all over the boy at the event, and while that saddened him a little, he understood. He knew he’d be close by, and that’s what mattered.

When they arrived at the venue, his managers bustled around, making sure they looked presentable and perfect, not a hair out of place. Soobin could feel the nerves trickling up his spine, but he took a deep breath, and it helped. He looked at the boys, giving them a small smile, a silent declaration that he was alright. Kai squeezed his arm, and Beomgyu gave him a back hug. He made eye contact with Yeonjun, and he could tell the older wanted to offer a sign of physical support, but he knew it was forbidden, so he only offered a genuine smile. Soobin returned it as best he could, before leading them all inside.

There were a few paparazzi at the entrance, but nothing too overwhelming, so Soobin simply let them flash their cameras as they walked past, bowing politely. When he passed through the entrance, his eyes widened as he took in the space. It was a large ballroom, with on wall dominated by a bar filled with so many bottles of alcohol Soobin felt his vision go hazy just looking. Fairy lights were strung up over the ceiling, casting everything in a golden glow, and round high-top tables were scattered across the floor. Everyone stood out on their own immaculately, and crisply-dressed waiters weaved in and out holding platters of appetizers and trays of stemmed glasses of champagne. It was, by far, the most formal event Soobin had ever attended.

He knew he and the boys were going to be among some of the youngest idols present, but he tried not let it deter him. He had every right to be here. The boys let themselves be shuffled over to one table, which they stood around, looking at their manager as he gave out reminders on how to be respectful and polite, and tacked on a reminder to “have fun” at the end, which kind of made Soobin want to laugh. He was under way too much pressure to impress his sunbaenims to enjoy a single second of the night. But he put on a happy face, and told his manager he would have as much fun as possible.

When he disappeared, the boys all looked at each other. None of them looked uncomfortable, or that awkward, just unsure of how to start mingling. Beomgyu was the first, grabbing a glass of champagne as it passed, and lifting it up at the boys. “Good luck, I’m off,” he said, before downing the glass in one go and then disappearing into the crowd. Soobin lost sight of him quickly, and he wished he could be like that. He puffed his cheeks out, before remembering he wasn’t supposed to do that, and he could feel Yeonjun’s eyes on him, before Kai grabbed his arm. “Hyung, I think I see Jackson-sunbaenim, can we please go say hi?” he begged, eyes bright. Yeonjun hesitated, eyes flickering to meet Soobin’s, before he acquiesced, nodding. “Don’t embarrass me,” he said, before the two departed.

Taehyun looked at Soobin gently, touching his arm. “Do you want to go see what they have over at the bar?” he asked. Soobin let out a relieved chuckle, glad that Taehyun knew him well enough to not leave him completely on his own. He wouldn’t have been able to move from his spot by the table if he didn’t have a companion he was comfortable with. He nodded, and the two walked over, tilting their heads back as they looked at all of the options. “I literally have no idea what any of those bottles even are,” Soobin admitted. Taehyun giggled, shaking his head. “Me either,” he said.

Taehyun leaned against the counter, eyes shining in the reflection of the lights, and Soobin spared a look around him. There was soft music playing, and the gentle hum of talking, and he tried to find his members in the crowd, but every male looked too similar in their suits and tuxedoes. He sighed, before turning back, looking at Taehyun. “Would it be pathetic if I just asked for a water?” he whispered. Taehyun instantly shook his head, standing up a bit straighter. “Not if I ask with you,” he stated. Soobin smiled, and when the bartender asked them what they would like, Taehyun politely asked for two glasses of lemon water. The bartender smiled and nodded, not seeming judgemental at all.

As they stood waiting for their waters, they leaned against the bartop, looking out at the scene in front of them. Never in a million years did Soobin think he’d be in a room full of such famous and influential people. It was ridiculously intimidating, but at least nobody seemed to be bothering him yet. Maybe he would be alright. The bartender slid each boy their glass, and Soobin took a drink, feeling refreshed as the cold water washed down his throat. It gave him something to hold, which helped him feel less awkward,

He and Taehyun stood there for a while, simply observing and sipping their waters, until suddenly they heard a lot of commotion towards the entrance. It was the paparazzi, seemingly trying to capture as many pictures of whoever was arriving as possible. Soobin could even hear them shouting questions at the poor people. He was curious as to who it was, and was actually thankful for his height as he was able to see over the heads of people as they entered. Taehyun stood up on his tiptoes to see, and Soobin’s eyes widened as he saw who it was. It was one of the biggest boy groups of the time, GOT 7, and Soobin swallowed, the nerves returning as he sunk back against the counter, automatically trying to make himself smaller so he wouldn’t be seen.

Several people reacted to their entrance in a friendly fashion, walking up and hugging some of them, bowing to others, and it reminded Soobin of those groups of friends in high school that he was never popular enough to be a part of. He looked at Taehyun, and he could see the urge to go meet them in his expression. He felt bad, he didn’t want Taehyun to feel obligated to keep him company, and so he nudged him. The younger’s head snapped to look at him, and Soobin smiled a bit. “You should go introduce yourself,” he encouraged. Taehyun’s eyes widened, gaze flickering back to the group, who had begun to move further into the room, the chatter getting a little louder with their inclusion. They were very popular. Taehyun hesitated, before smiling, setting his glass of water down. “I promise I’ll be right back, okay?” he said. Soobin shook his head, giving him a little push. “I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me,” he replied. Taehyun bit his lip, before nodding. He gave Soobin a small hug, before bounding off.

Soobin was happy for Taehyun, glad that at least the other members were out there mingling, socialising, getting to know their competition. Soobin took a deep breath, finished his glass of water, and then started walking over to an empty table. He started giving himself a mental pep talk, encouraging himself to say hi to someone he saw, maybe someone like him, who was alone and maybe shy, and could empathise. He needed something to hold, he realised, and so he managed to snag a glass of champagne, without being awkward about it either. He examined it as he stood at his table, admiring the way the bubbles continuously rose to the top.

He brought it to his lips, and was surprised to find that the taste actually wasn’t that bad. He wasn’t a big drinker though, so he didn’t take another sip. He had gone back to trying to see if he could see any of his members in the crowd, but once again he couldn’t make out who was who in the sea of suits and dresses.

“Did you lose your group?” a voice suddenly asked to his right, and he flinched in surprise. The person laughed a little, and suddenly there were two hands on his arms, carefully steadying him. Soobin felt his cheeks heat up at the contact, and he looked up, and then down a little, to see who had spoken to him. He didn’t recognise him immediately, but he was smiling kindly, and Soobin automatically felt himself smiling back on instinct. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” the person, boy, said. Soobin shook his head, carefully placing his champagne glass on the table. “It’s my fault, I wasn’t paying attention,” he said, before bowing a little.

The boy bowed back, before training his gaze back on Soobin. “I’m Choi San of Ateez,” he introduced. Soobin’s eyes widened a little, recognising the name of the group. They had debuted only last year, and Soobin had heard a few of their songs. He bowed again, feeling shyer in the presence of an idol who was older and more experienced than him. “Hello, Choi San-sunbaenim, I’m Choi Soobin, of Tomorrow by Together,” he said, hoping he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt. He looked back at San, and was surprised to see that the boy’s eyes had widened too.

He moved a few steps closer, and his face broke out in a wide smile. “So _you’re_ the mysterious leader of BigHit’s next group,” he said, an aura of mystery in his tone. Soobin swallowed, unsure of what exactly to say, so he just nodded. He didn’t think he was that mysterious, they just hadn’t really had many opportunities to interact with other idols yet. San chuckled, and then quite obviously ran his eyes up and down Soobin’s body, taking him in. Soobin felt self-conscious, even though he knew he had to look good. He just didn’t really like anyone else looking at him like that except for Yeonjun. He wondered how his boyfriend would react if he were to somehow catch a glimpse of this interaction.

“You’re as cute as the rumours make you out to be,” San said unashamedly, and Soobin’s breath faltered a little, his eyes immediately dropping. San only laughed, taking a step back, before patting Soobin’s shoulder. “Sorry, I tend to say things I shouldn’t,” he apologised. Soobin shook his head, lifting his eyes to look at the boy again. He was still smiling, and looked way too happy to be talking to Soobin. “It’s alright,” Soobin replied softly. San leaned against the table, just staring at Soobin, and Soobin desperately tried to think of something to say to make the moment less awkward. But San spoke before he could. “You’re a little too shy to be a leader though, aren’t you?” he remarked.

It was said so casually, as if San himself didn’t think it was an inappropriate thing to say, and while Soobin only laughed a little on the outside, on the inside he felt all of his hard work crumble and the anxiety begin to set in. He himself already didn’t think that highly of himself, and to have his insecurities pointed out never helped matters. “Um,” he replied stupidly. San flashed a smile again, and then moved into Soobin’s space yet again, biting his lip. “Not that I’m doubting your talent, or anything,” he said, and Soobin noticed how his tone had shifted from the kind one he had used in his introduction, to something much more condescending. He didn’t like the sound of it at all, and he wished he could remove himself from the situation. If this is what every encounter was going to be, he didn’t know how he was going to make it.

“I look forward to seeing how long you last,” San said, voice sickeningly sweet. Soobin had to physically force himself to keep a calm face, even though his mind was spinning and his anxiety had settled heavy in his stomach, making him feel nauseous. He managed a small smile, before stepping back. “It was really nice to meet you, San-sunbaenim,” he stuttered, voice weak. “I’m just going to go find the restroom,” He hated the pathetic excuse, but thankfully San didn’t try and stop him as he bowed once more, and then walked around him. He had no idea where the bathrooms were, but he assumed they were near the entrance, so he headed that way. He could feel his breath picking up, and tears pricking behind his eyes, and he didn’t want anyone to see him having such a dramatic reaction to San’s offhanded comments. His intuition was right, thankfully, and he ducked inside the bathroom quickly, going to a stall and locking the door.

He allowed himself a few gasps, before forcing himself to take deep breaths, bending over and holding onto his knees. Several tears leaked out, as San’s words bounced around in his head, mocking him. He knew he shouldn’t pay them any attention, but San was an idol, a successful one who had successfully debuted and who was so talented and Soobin couldn’t ever compete with that. San was right, he had no qualities of a leader, he was way too quiet and shy.

He stood up and dabbed his eyes with toilet, trying to stop crying. He didn’t want to ruin his makeup, and he certainly didn’t want to walk back out with puffy red eyes and have everyone, including San, know he had been crying. He knew he could probably hide in the bathroom the whole night and nobody would notice, but he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to feed into how pathetic he was being. And so he took another deep breath, and unlocked the stall door. He walked out, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He sighed as he saw the dried tears under his eyes, and the slight discolouration. It wouldn’t be too obvious in the darker lighting, and probably not to anyone who didn’t look too close, but still.

He washed his hands quietly, did his best to fix his hair, and braced himself to return back to the crowd. He could try and find Taehyun maybe, and hopefully San would leave him alone. As he went to open the door to leave, though, it opened first, and he stepped back, already fearful of whoever it was that was about to see him in such a sad state. However, he felt mostly relief as he saw it was Beomgyu. He obviously didn’t want him to see that he had been crying, but he was glad it was one of his members. Beomgyu stumbled to a stop, uttering an apology, before realising he was standing in front of Soobin. Soobin saw him immediately recognise the fact that he had just been crying, and saw his face morph into one of anger. “What happened? Who do I need to fight?” he asked, hands clenching into fists.

Soobin shook his head, messing with his suit jacket. “I’m fine, I just…had a moment,” he said. Beomgyu blinked, before crossing his arms. “Okay, now tell me what really happened,” he said. Soobin didn’t even know why he tried lying, Beomgyu always saw right through him. He was the first to find out about him and Yeonjun, after all. Fuck, Yeonjun. He was going to start a riot when he found out how Soobin had been treated.

Soobin sighed, slouching a bit. “I met Choi San from Ateez, and he just made some comments about my leadership skills,” he confessed. Beomgyu’s eyes narrowed, and he pursed his lips, lifting his chin a bit. “I’m gonna kick his pretentious ass,” he said, spinning around on his heel. And Soobin knew Beomgyu well enough to know he actually _would_ do that, so he shot a hand out and caught his wrist, pulling him back. “Beomgyu, don’t! This is not the place, and it’s not worth it, I’m fine now,” he said. Beomgyu scoffed, eyes widening. “He made you cry!” he pointed out. Soobin wrapped an arm around Beomgyu’s shoulders, walking them towards the door. He was tired of being in the bathroom.

“Lots of things make me cry, Beomgyu-ah, seriously, I’m okay,” he said. Beomgyu huffed, but walked out with Soobin, throwing his arm around his waist in a side-hug. When they walked back out, Soobin saw the rest of his members gathered at a table, and was glad to see them all back together. They seemed to be talking excitedly about who they had met and spoken to, and that made Soobin happy. However, as they approached, he knew he had vastly underestimated just how bad he looked. Because every single one of them stopped talking and their smiles faded as they saw Soobin.

_Fuck_ , he thought. Beomgyu kept his arm around him, even though Soobin’s fell from his shoulders. “I found Soobin-hyung in the bathrooms,” Beomgyu said, but left it at that. Kai fish-mouthed, as if debating whether or not to even ask, Taehyun simply looked sad, and Yeonjun literally looked like he wanted to murder someone. When he spoke, Soobin knew it was because he couldn’t help it. “What happened?” he asked, voice venomous. Beomgyu replied for Soobin, firmer than Soobin could have been. _Great leadership skills, Soobin, letting your members speak for you._ “It doesn’t matter, hyung, because there’s nothing you or any of us can do about it right now,” he said. Yeonjun narrowed his eyes at Beomgyu, seemingly not happy with his answer. “That’s not what I asked-,” he started to say, but Taehyun cut him off, giving him a warning look. “Hyung, not here,” he said. Yeonjun’s eyes widened as he turned to look at Taehyun. Soobin could see the fire in his eyes, and he knew that if the roles were reversed he would be as pissed as Yeonjun was, but he didn’t want the boy to make a scene. “Hyung, I’m okay, I promise,” he said, before Yeonjun yelled at Taehyun, who was only trying to help mediate the problem Soobin had caused.

Yeonjun snapped his head to look at Soobin, gaze still hardened, but more pained than anything. “I can tell you’ve been crying, Soobin, you can’t just expect me to-,” But Soobin cut him off, glad he had found his voice. “I need you to just drop it, okay? I promise I’ll explain everything when we’re home,” he said, and he hoped his eyes conveyed his desperation. Yeonjun stared at him, conflicting emotions crossing his features, before he nodded, grinding his teeth as he looked at the ground. Soobin deflated a little, hating how the night had gone. And hating how San’s words were _still_ echoing in his head.

It was Kai who spoke next, much less energetic than usual. “Maybe we should just go? I think we’re all pretty tired anyway,” he said. Yeonjun instantly agreed, and the others mumbled in consent too. Kai took it upon himself to let their managers know, and before they knew it, they were being guided to the door. It seemed as if Yeonjun couldn’t help himself, and stood right next to Soobin, resting a hand on his back, firm and present. Soobin didn’t say anything, didn’t want to say anything, and when they got into the van, nobody stopped Yeonjun from pulling Soobin to sit next to him. He slipped an arm around his waist, and Soobin was so tired of holding it together that he let his head fall on Yeonjun’s shoulder. They stayed like that the entire drive.

After getting out of their suits and changing into pajamas, all of the boys went up to the dorms, but the others were nice enough to give Yeonjun and Soobin some privacy. After they washed their faces, Yeonjun sat them down on his bed, and turned to Soobin, clearly waiting for his promised explanation. Soobin looked at his hands, taking a deep breath, before telling Yeonjun everything.

The boy listened, not interrupting once, and when Soobin was finished, he didn’t move for several minutes. Soobin looked up, almost afraid of his reaction. He had made himself really vulnerable, had even revealed how San’s words had impacted him and his mental health, and he really hoped Yeonjun would understand. He really hoped he wouldn’t be annoyed that Soobin’s insecurities were once again playing a large role in his life. Yeonjun looked back at Soobin, before taking one of his hands in both of his smaller ones. “You know that Choi San is a fucking asshole right? And that none of what he said was true?” he said, and Soobin let out a little chuckle, though it dissipated very quickly. He exhaled, messing with Yeonjun’s fingers. “But I am shy, he wasn’t lying about that,” he said quietly.

Yeonjun pulled his hands away, only to hold onto Soobin’s knees as he expertly climbed into his lap, locking his legs around Soobin’s waist. Soobin gulped, balancing Yeonjun and looking up at him. “There is nothing wrong with being shy, Soobin,” he said assertively. “Hell, I wish I knew when to shut up sometimes,” Soobin blushed, before shaking his head a little. “I love how loud you are,” he replied. Yeonjun scoffed, playfully flicking his forehead. “Yeah, I’m sure you do,” he shot back. Soobin blushed, rolling his eyes. Yeonjun smiled, before getting serious again.

He played with Soobin’s earlobe as he spoke, and it was quite soothing. “I love how quiet you are, because I know it means you’re always listening, and I love when you’re loud, because it makes it so much more special when I get to hear it,” he murmured. Soobin blushed, looking down and messing with the hem of Yeonjun’s shirt as a distraction. “Hyungggg,” he whined, never one to take compliments well. Yeonjun chuckled, and Soobin felt lips against his forehead. “I’m serious! I love everything about you,” he said. Soobin swallowed, leaning in to rest his head against Yeonjun’s chest. The older wrapped his arms around him, holding him close. “You should’ve been chosen as the leader,” he whispered.

Yeonjun laughed as he ran a hand through Soobin’s hair. “I would’ve been terrible, and you know it,” he responded. Soobin closed his eyes, breathing his boyfriend in, hands locking behind his back. “I’m sorry he made you cry, baby,” Yeonjun whispered, suddenly soft. Soobin only shrugged. It was easier to forget what San had said when he was this wrapped up in Yeonjun.

He pulled back after a minute, and tilted Yeonjun’s face down so he could kiss him. Yeonjun sighed into it, kissing Soobin gently and sweetly, and it was the perfect remedy. Now all Soobin felt was tired. Yeonjun gave him a few more pecks, before there was a harsh series of knocks on the door.

“Are you guys done being all soft and in love?! I’m exhausted!” Beomgyu shouted, tactless as always. Soobin giggled against Yeonjun’s mouth as Yeonjun groaned. He climbed off of Soobin as he replied, mirth evident in his voice. “I swear to god Beomgyu,” he said, getting up and unlocking the door. “I’m gonna kick your ass one of these days,” Soobin giggled again, covering his smile as he moved to lie down, rearranging the blankets. He saw Beomgyu only stick his tongue out at Yeonjun before going to his bunk, Kai and Taehyun following close behind. Yeonjun returned to Soobin, getting in next to him. He situated himself between Soobin and the wall, and Soobin turned so that he could be the little spoon. Yeonjun slipped an arm around his waist, and rested his face close the back of his neck, pressing a few kisses to the skin there.

After the other boys had settled in, Yeonjun sat up just a little. “Also, Beomgyu-ah, if you ever see Choi San in person, I give you full permission to slap him,” he called over. Beomgyu let out a loud laugh in the darkness as Soobin hit Yeonjun’s arm. “Hyung!” he scolded, though he did giggle a bit. Yeonjun smiled, settling back against him. “With pleasure,” Beomgyu replied, and Soobin rolled his eyes.

“Go to sleep, all of you, we have a busy day tomorrow,” he said. He felt Yeonjun tighten his arm around him, and he smiled as he snuggled in. “That was very leader-y of you,” Yeonjun whispered into his ear. Soobin blushed, before resting his hands over Yeonjun’s, and feeling finally content for the first time that night.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is appreciated!


End file.
